Syndicalism in Colne Valley

[octoberlost]

www.solwest.org.uk/colnevalley.html

[Bryan]

URGENT CALL TO ALL
COLNE VALLEY ANARCHO-SYNDICALISTS

In the last half of the last Century there were two serious giants of NORTHERN ANARCHISM. Both were Christened - James.

One was Jimmy Pinkerton who died in March 2002. He was born in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancs.; became an Anarchist after the 2nd World Wor and was a National Secretary of the Syndicalist Workers' Federation (a forerunner of the Sol Fed) up until 1963. He had a serious influence on me and others around NORTHERN VOICES, like Derek Pattison.

In his obituary in The Guardian and FREEDOM, he was descibed as 'THE FATHER OF NORTHERN ANARCHISM. In DIRECT ACTION (the Sol. Fed. journal) he was headlined as an unassuming anarchist.

The other major figure, who we may call the 'FATHER OF NORTHERN ANARCHO-SYNDICALISM, was and is Jim Petty from BURNLEY. He was National Secretary of the Direct Action Movement in the 1980s at the time of the miners' strike in which he was very active and he was on the DAM Policy Committee; which met in Rochdale in the early 1980s. He never missed an opportunity to get involved in disputes both local and national: like the Grundwick dispute and the campaign against the attempts to set up anti-trade union newspapers. He helped to develop anarchism in Burnley over many years with John, Juddith, Eileen, Reg and others: organising meetings and campaigns for local workers and immigrant labour. He was prominent in the campaign against the Poll Tax in the 1990s. Now he is on the Editorial Panel of NORTHERN VOICES and wrote a remarkable essay in NV1 on 'Burnley: the architects of squallor'.

Now Jimmy Pinkerton who had a sharpe eye for nature of English anarchism said on meeting two members of the Spanish anarcho-syndicalist CGT, less than a year before his death, that 'compared to the Spanish anarcho-syndicalists we English are like shrivelled up prunes.' This comment was repeated in his Guardian obituary.

Today, those 'shrivelled up prunes' taste very sour indeed, for the organisation which calls itself the 'SOLIDARITY FEDERATION' has just expelled Jim Petty on grounds of his religous convictions. Jimmy Pinkerton was an agnostic and possibly even an atheist. But Jimmy Pinkerton was too decent a person to ever have got involved anything so shabby as the Sol Fed sacking of Jim Petty. Both Pinkerton and Petty were/are critical thinkers who were/are comfortable in their own skins and with minds of their own. The shrivelled up prunes who sacked Jim Petty from the Sol Fed, are insecure individuals frighten of their own shadows.

All this would be tragic; if it were not comic. The people who're doing the sacking are the finest political comedians in the business; better even than Jeremy Hardy. They have done this because they have nowt better to do! The danger is that with the London Anarchist Bookfair coming up this local affair could take on national significance.

As editor of NORTHERN VOICES, I urge the Burnley Anarchist Group and sympathisers in the Colne Valley to look after their veteran activists in Burnley. Especially a bloke as noble as Jim Petty, who has earned his place as one of the political activists, who has endured for decades fighting for anarchism without flinching: while others who have been layabouts and scallywags have their membership for life.

[michele cryer]

Thank you for that post Bryan...

I think it is very sad that Jim Petty has been expelled from Solfed because of his religious beliefs...has Jim ever compromised his position as an anarchist because of his religious beliefs? Has he allowed his religious beliefs to ever interfere with the causes he has stood for?

Wasn't Jesus considered an anarchist in some quarters? Working against his Jewish 'religious' masters?

I would urge the members of solfed to reconsider their position with regard to Jim Petty...it is a sad insult against his good nature to expel him.

[octoberlost]

If there is an accusation to be made, then this needs to be addressed appropriately. Can we get facts straight?

[michele cryer]

Thank you octoberlost...obviously this is an emotive subject matter from the position of friends, however I must admit that I did not have the full facts to hand when I posted my reply...

Perhaps this matter should be dealt with privately by the persons concerned...

[Mitch]

Well said Michele and Octoberlost.

Best Mitch

[barry]

The issues raised by Bryan in respect of the expulsion of Jim Petty from the Sol Fed raise very important concerns which need to be addressed . I for one would welcome an explanation to be given by Sol Fed for this arbitrary dismissal of a long time anarchist militant.

[Mitch]

Well yes, but I'd also welcome an explanation of the sexism demonstrated in an article by an anarchist recently posted on this web forum.

See anarcho-feminist thread in this section, although I seriously doubt whether that will receive any consideration.

[octoberlost]

barry said:

The issues raised by Bryan in respect of the expulsion of Jim Petty from the Sol Fed raise very important concerns which need to be addressed . I for one would welcome an explanation to be given by Sol Fed for this arbitrary dismissal of a long time anarchist militant.

Barry again we dont know facts, so your 'arbitary dismissal' needs to put under wraps. Ive been told that theyre will be a statement soon.


I would also like too know who made the sexist comment?

[bryan]

A statement would be welcome from the Sol Fed.

What must be considered is:


(1) The legal aspects of the case:

a) Has the Sol Fed followed a proper process for the dismissal of Jim Petty?

b) Has it applied the Rules of Natural Justice required by English Common Law?
(i) This involves explaining what rule is involved and how a member has breached the rule.
(ii) This breach must then be explained to the member and he/she should then be given a reasonable then given the chance to respond to it.
(iii) The complainant cannot be judge in his own cause. That means the person objecting to Jim's conduct cannot then act as judge and jury to decide the case.
(All this is very important because when sackings occur we require the boss to follow the proper rules - that is why the electricians took their case to the Tribunal, just as if a militant is expelled from his trade union, as some of us anarcho-syndicalists have in the past, we demand that the union apply the rules of natural justice. It is only ethical that we should expect anarchists to uphold the highest standards. What we demand in others we must require of ourselves).

c) It is for the Sol Fed. to show that they have behaved correctly and as October Lost says 'in an appropriate way'. The onus of proof is on the Sol Fed. Can they show that they have behaved fairly?

There may be other requirements, as I have not checked out the constitutional law in detail, but I think everyone would agree it is necessary for the Sol Fed to conduct themselves properly and constitutionally.

[michele cryer]

First of all I would like to apologise to Jim Petty for speaking on his behalf...I have spoken to him tonight about the current situation between him and Solfed, and he really does not want to make a 'big issue' of his expulsion...in his own words, he knows that he is an anarchist and it doesn't really matter what anybody else chooses to believe or not about him.

We discussed the reasons for his expulsion, which were to do with more than his religious persuasion...and he agreed with some of the reasons put forward for the expulsion...however, as regards his religious stance...it has been argued that, because he has aligned himself with a particular church, he must agree with all of their views on various issues (I will not highlight those issues here, the people concerned know what these are)...Jim assures me that he does not hold those opinions, he forms his own opinions on religious beliefs as well as on political and social issues...that is his right.

Jim appreciates the support that he has had from members/guests on this board, however he does not feel that it is necessary for anyone to 'fight his corner'. As we are not members of Solfed ourselves, and so have no real idea of the ins and outs of this situation I feel that we should respect Jim and Solfed and now close this subject...

Please, everyone, let's now try to concentrate on posting posting about issues which concern all of us...and fight together to see justice done in all areas of our lives, instead of creating chaos amongst ourselves...

[bryan]

Doing degradation ceremonies successfully:
disposing of Reverend Father Petty.
Preston Solidarity Federations’ membership problems.

In May 1976, I wrote up my thesis: ‘Members & Officials: Some aspects of a trade union dispute’. It was based a paper published 20 years earlier in the American Journal of Sociology by Harold Garfinkel entitled ‘On Conditions of Successful Degradation Ceremonies’.

How does the exclusion of Jim Petty, addressed in the Preston Solidarity Federation’s letter notifying his exclusion as ‘Rev. Father Petty’, measure up as a competent piece of ‘status degradation’? Examples of status degradation would include the following: the defrocking of a priest; a court martial; a felon being sentenced by a court; disbarment proceedings against a solicitor; the exclusion of a trade unionist from membership of his/her union or, as in this case, ‘we no longer consider you (Jim Petty) a member’ of our political party - The Solidarity Federation/I.W.A.

Degradation ceremonies in Garfinkel’s scheme fall within what he called ‘the sociology of moral indignation’ and ought properly to involve public denunciation. The curse, in Garfinkel’s view must be publicly delivered: ‘I call upon all men/women to bear witness that he - in this case The Reverend Father Jim Petty - is not as he appears but is otherwise in essence of a lower species.’

In this way, according to Garfinkel, the moral indignation serves to effect the ritual destruction of the person denounced, and consequently reinforces group solidarity. ‘In the market of politics,’ argues Garfinkel, ‘a degradation ceremony must be counted on as a secular form of communion.’

Thus in the eyes of Preston Solidarity Federation, and presumably the national Solidarity Federation and the International Workers’ Association (IWA/AIT) - all of which are united in this secular Communion, Jim Petty/Rev. Father Petty is regarded as something different from what he was before November 4th, 2004. No matter that Jim Petty was in the 1980s National Secretary of the Solidarity Federations’ predecessor: the Direct Action Movement (DAM/IWA). Or that he has always held the same religious views as he does now. His former identity now stands as ‘accidental’ to his new defrocked identity: as a member of the East London Solidarity Federation said to me ‘Jim Petty was a good comrade once’ or the cackling mocking response of Comrade Ron Marsden (Manchester Sol. Fed.) to favourable references to Jim Petty’s past work.

In this way Comrade Jim Petty, former militant anarcho-syndicalist National Secretary of the Direct Action Movement, has undergone a transformation in identity to ‘Rev. Father James Petty’: now publicly shunned by his former comrades.

The denouncers of Jim Petty declare themselves to be speaking on behalf of the Preston Solidarity Federation in their letter of denunciation delivered in the name of the values they describe as ‘anarcho-syndicalist’. The conduct of Jim Petty is defined as ‘out of the ordinary’ in the letter from Preston Solidarity Federation. The letter states:
‘We have recently decided to rename ourselves Preston Solidarity Federation and to rationalise our membership (my bold italics). Since you have never attended a meeting, never contributed in any way and had (sic) not paid subs up to date, we decided that we would no longer consider you a member. I emailed you with this information.’

This makes it sound like Jim is guilty of non-participation in the activities of the group. It also suggests he is sending money to an outdated organisation: ‘According to our last bank statement you are still sending money into the Lancashire Solidarity Federation account.’ This implies Jim’s membership incompetence extends to not knowing that these groups keep changing their names and identities.

But Preston Sol. Fed. also demonstrate incompetence in their denunciation. In their letter they do not make it clear when Mr Petty was excluded. Was it when they write: ’We decided recently to rename ourselves Preston Solidarity Federation and rationalise our membership’? Was it when he began to stop paying ’the correct amount of subs’? Was it when they noticed that Mr Petty had ‘never attended a meeting’. Or was it when they write: ‘...it has come to our attention that you
(Mr. Petty) are an ordained Priest in the Anglican Catholic Church.’ Or was it after ‘having looked at the beliefs of this Church’, they write, ‘we find it impossible to reconcile their (sic) beliefs with those of an anarcho-syndicalist organisation and with anarchism in general.’

When it turns out that the Preston Solidarity Federation conduct their degradation ceremonies by e-mail they run serious risk of unfavourable comparisons. A few years ago the General Accident Company stood condemned by trade unionists and political activists for sacking its employees in that way. The semi-detached method of expelling by e-mail and the language of ‘rationalise our membership’ is the language of managerialism and organisation man. It is the kind of language which invokes moral indignation from radicals and anarchists alike.

When a degradation ceremony is conducted in such a sloppy manner using the language and methods of bossism, it runs the risk that the denouncers themselves will begin to be identified in the eyes of witnesses with managerial and capitalist values. Such shoddy communicative tactics show the Preston Solidarity Federal as an upholder of not only contrasting values to those of the Anglican Catholic Church (which is hardly a model of capitalist managerialism), but of promoting the rational management values anarcho-syndicalists and anarchists historically despise.

It was argued at the Newcastle Anarchist Cultural Festival on February 11th, by Richard - a member of West Yorkshire Sol. Fed., that Jim Petty is a member of a branch of a Church which opposes the ordination of women priests. This too is an issue of hierarchy and bossism: are they saying that if Jim was a woman priest in the Anglican Church then that would be O.K.? Homophobia was also thrown-in for good measure, presumably this section of the Church opposes gay Bishops as well; again we are into hierarchies. Anarchism and anarcho-syndicalism ought not to be about careerism and job promotion, that may be of interest to consumer oriented individuals, status climbers, middle-class feminists, lipstick lesbians and gays, but it is not our job to be giving these people a leg-up.

Clearly the Solidarity Federation has got itself into a right pickle over this question of the Reverend Father Petty. As usual they have been shy of going public on this matter. Their problem is that Jim Petty is well regarded both locally in Burnley and in the North. In June 2003, he wrote in Northern Voices No.1. perhaps one of the most penetrating accounts of the breakdown in community relations and the riots in Burnley. His contribution to northern anarchism has been significant, particularly his leadership of the Direct Action Movement at the time of the Miners’ strike.

Maybe we should be re-assured that Preston Solidarity Federation and the General Accident Company are so inept in disposing of their unwanted members and employees. In their wrongheaded way they have thrown into relief a very important matter: is it possible for any organisation in a capitalist-consumer society to behave decently?

In a moment of anger in the 1930s, Ludwig Wittgenstein told his friend Maurice Drury, that if he must join a religious order, he should become a Quaker. Then, next day, Wittgenstein apologised to his friend saying he was wrong to suggest that any organisation should be more appropriate in the present time. Wittgenstein was aware that any organisation in modern Britain, even the Quakers, would be influenced by the dominant culture. The question that Preston Sol. Fed. pose for us all is: is it possible for an anti-capitalist organisation such as the Solidarity Federation to behave better than a capitalist organisation such as the General Accident Co.? This is a serious problem for all anarchist organisations in modern society which we should ponder given recent events.


Brian Bamford.

[bryan]

NOTE ABOUT THE ABOVE PUBLICATION:

THE ABOVE ESSAY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED THIS MONTH IN THE SPRING ISSUE OF "TOTAL LIBERTY" PUBLISHED IN DERBYSHIRE. "TOTAL LIBERTY" PROCLAIMS ITSELF AS AN UPHOLDER OF 'ETHICAL ANARCHISM' AND DOES NOT HAVE LINKS WITH OF THE AFFILIATED GROUPS, ALTHOUGH ITS EDITOR WAS ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE NAN IN THE 1990s. THE NAN WAS FOUNDED AT MANCHESTER TOWN HALL AROUND 1995.

[michele cryer]

Bryan, thank you for this post.

Unfortunately the issue of Jim Petty was raised on my Burnley Anarchists Meetings thread by SeanmcHeathen, and was carried on by Steve...On the Enrager Forums.

I have pointed out to them that I do not wish this matter to start to be debated again...either there or on here, however I and Jim both appreciate anybody's comments in defense of him.

I do hope that this ugly argument doesn't ignite again here!!